Ngek Chum

Contact Information

Biography

Ngek Chum is one of the few living Khmer music masters worldwide who possesses a vast
repertoire and command of multiple instruments across various genres. He is the 2004
recipient of the Bess Lomax Hawes Award, the NEA National Heritage Fellowship conferred
upon one artist who has significantly benefited his or her tradition through teaching
and preserving important repertoires. Chum has also received honors from The Maryland
State Arts Council and the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County.

Born in Battambang Province, Cambodia, Chum first formally studied Khmer music at
the age of ten under his grandfather, Um Hieng. Although Chum’s grandfather did not
want him to become a professional musician, his talent and love for music could not
be denied. Consequently, Chum’s grandfather set up private apprenticeships for him
with the province’s best musicians. At the age of twelve, Chum so impressed his teacher,
Master Chou Nit, that he learned the sacred repertoire in the same year. By the time
he was eighteen, Chum began to perform professionally, lead ensembles, serve as a
provincial musician, and perform throughout Cambodia. In 1974, Chum was selected as
his region’s representative for a national music contest and artist residency held
at the Royal University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh.